Allegan County parents use social media to start conversations about substance abuse

Comment

By Lisa.Ermak@hollandsentinel.com(616) 546-4219

Holland Sentinel

By Lisa.Ermak@hollandsentinel.com(616) 546-4219

Posted Feb. 25, 2014 at 12:04 PM

By Lisa.Ermak@hollandsentinel.com(616) 546-4219

Posted Feb. 25, 2014 at 12:04 PM

Holland, Mich.

What’s the definition of a cool parent?

If you ask Allegan County Community Mental Health, they’ll tell you cool parents are adults who are involved in their kids’ lives, provide positive influences and are informed about their kids’ friends and the environments where they hang out.

Knowing there are lots of cool parents out there, Heidi Denton, prevention specialist at Allegan County CMH, wanted to connect them, so she launched the Cool Parents campaign.

The backbone of the campaign is a Facebook page, which invites parents of tween or teenage kids to connect with one another and post tips and tricks for talking about substance abuse in their homes.

So far, the group has 47 members.

While the campaign went live just a few weeks ago, conversations about the need for area parents to connect started years ago, Denton said.

"We were hosting town hall meetings talking about underage drinking and underage substance abuse in general. (Parents) were saying, ‘I’d like to know who the other cool parents are, so I know when my child goes to their house (the kids) are not in the basement drinking, with the parents oblivious to what’s happening.’"

While the campaign has started out small, Denton said she hopes the it takes off as parents and educators share with one another.

"The whole point would be to connect all these parents with each other and for us to take a step back so we don’t need to own this is in the end," Denton said.

With money Allegan CMH received through a federal grant for substance abuse prevention, Denton said they plan to produce billboards and window clings to further promote the Cool Parents message.